The invention relates to a rotor alignment apparatus for processing and power generating machines, comprising a gear propelled by a drive motor, whose pinion is arranged on a locking and unlocking pivoting apparatus, and whose locking and unlocking is controlled by the processing and power generating machine by means of recorders of the number of revolutions.
For example, gas turbines, steam turbines, compressors etc. are applicable as processing and power generating machines, all of which operate at high temperatures. If such machines are shut down while still in a hot operating condition, the rotor is subjected to a sagging which it maintains after cooling. Then it is no longer balanced. In order to avoid this very disadvantageous imbalance, so-called rotor aligning devices or aligning apparatuses were developed which keep the rotor in rotation until it has been cooled down completely, at a low number of revolutions. This avoids the disadvantageous sagging of the rotor.
In this connection a rotor alignment device has been known which propels the entire shaft strand of a processing and power generating machine in order to avoid uneven cooling of the rotors following the shutdown of the entire installation. The breaking loose and the subsequent rotating of the entire system for starting is likewise accomplished with the aid of this rotor alignment apparatus.
It is disadvantageous in these known rotor alignment apparatuses that stopping of the entire mechanical system must first be awaited so that then the aligning can be accomplished. Thus, the machinist must observe the installation until it has come to a stop and only then the rotor alignment apparatus can be put into operation.